Tube connecter construction



Dec. 5, 1933. F. M. POTTENGER, JR 1,937,841

TUBE CONNECTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /5Inventor Frane'z'SiIZPattmgenJr:

flttorney.

Dec. 5, 1933.

F. M. POTTENGER, JR TUBE CONNECTER coNsTRiJcTIoN Filed Dec. 8, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 r rJ .w r 0v 6 U8 mm P m w m r F tflttorny.

Patented Dec. 5, 1933 TUBE ooNNEoTER CONSTRUCTION Francis M. Pottenger,Jr., Monrovia, Calif. Application December 8, 1930. Serial No. 509,827

2 Claims. (Cl. 215-73) My invention relates to tubular connecters,particularly to the structural, arrangement for insuring eiiicientconnection between twoco-acting tubular members, and more particularlymy in- 5 vention pertains to the construction of a resilient tubularmember whereby it may telescopically engage a second relativelynon-resilient tubular member such as the neck of a bottle and the like,

I and to project avent tube therein.

My inventionincludes a resilient annular channel designed to sustain avacuum therein. and thereby engage a tubular surface with a suctiongrip.An important feature of my invention is,

the divergent position of a side wall of the channel whereby exteriorpressure on the wall is directed towards the engaged tubular surfacerather than parallel with it, thereby increasing the efiiciencyof theengagement.

My invention also includes, where desirable, an integral vent tube, thewall of my connecter beingsuitably strengthened to serve as a base forsuch vent tube.

Although my invention, obviously, may be employed in a wide range ofdevices, I shall, for the purpose of illustration and without implyingany limitation as to its applicability, first describe my invention asembodied in the construction of a rubber connecterof the type commonlyused in medical practice to connect one or more rub ber tubes to a flaskor bottle for such purposes as administering intravenous injections anddraining an empyema. I shall then describe my connecter as applied to aflask for the purpose of drawing liquid therefrom, my connecterin thissecond case projecting a vent-tube into the flask to providecommunication between the atmosphere and the space in the flask abovethe liquidlevel. l 1

A rubber bottle-cap embodying my invention is of particular advantagefor such a purpose, because it is simply constructed in comparison tothe usual connecter, and easily sterilized. There are no Working partsto be lost, such as removable collars. bands, and screws, and having noseparate working parts, the connecter may be manufactured at arelatively low cost.

, The suction engagement of the connecter with the neck of a flask isquickly made and quickly released and furnishes a positive joint thatwill resist considerable tension between the connecter and the flask andis proof against any fluid leakage.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be clear from thedetailed description to follow, considered with the accompanyingdrawings in which-- Fig; 1 is a fragmentary broken perspective View ofmy connecter engaging a tubular member;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the preferred form of mychannel construction in. which the lower channel wall is divergent;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a modified form in which both channel wallsare divergent;

ig. 4 is a broken side elevation showing a connecter assembled to aflask; f

. Fig. 5 is the bottom View of a connecter showing in cross-sectionthree tubes instead of two;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of my con nector incorporating anintegral vent tube;

Fig. 7 is abottom view of Fig. 6 with the outlet tube in cross section;and J Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the plied to aflask of liquid.

A rubber connecter generally designated C is shown telescopicallyengaging a tubularmember T, which may be, for example, the 'neckof aconnecter apflask, as shown in Fig.4.

Integral with the cylindrical wall 10of the connecter and preferably atthe rim 11 thereof V to prevent undue lateral flexure under externalpressure. v

Spaced below flange 12 and alsointegral with wall 10 is a secondinwardlyextending' annular flange 14 preferably relatively flexible incomparison to flange 12 and diverging therefrom at an angle, as shown,to engage the surface 13. T

Thus flanges 12 and 14 as sides define an annular'channel, with theinterjacent portion 'of wall 10 as the back, which will be hereinaftertermed the channel and which, with the encompassed surface 13, forms aclosed continuous annular space 16 capable of sustaining a vacuum. Thepurpose of the angle at which flange 14 is positioned, one oftheprinciple features of this invention, may be understood fromFig. 2.hen there is a vacuum in the annular space 16, ex ternal pressureexerted against the channel presses the two sides of the channel againsttubular member T, but is less elfective against flange 14 than againstflange 12, for the simplereason that such a wall is less easily flexedat an inter- 1G5 mediate point than at its marginal edge-in this case,the rim 11. Moreover, pressure on flange 14 from below and within theconnecter may in some devices be less than the exterior atmospheriopressure against flange 12, as, for instance,

when the connecter is used in a siphon-arrangement or as part of a pump.

To offset the disadvantages inherent in the location of flange '14, Iplace it at the angle shown in order to increase its pressure againstsurface 13 by utilizing pressure exterior to the flange. Thus, whilelateral pressure against flange 12, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2,is substantially parallel to surface 13 and is resisted only by theinherent rigidity of flange 12,-pressure against flange 14., on theother hand, is, because of the position of flange 14, directed at anangle towards surface 13, as indicated by the arrow, and serves to pressflange 14 against surface 13 to make an efficient fluid-proof jointtherewith.

In the modified form of the channel shown in Fig. 3, all parts areidentical to the corresponding parts of Fig. 2, except the upper flange1'7, which is designed like lower flange 14 of Fig. 3 or 14 of Fig. 2.In this case the efliciency of the engagement of the upper flange withsurface 13 is increased, but it is not as easy to slip the chan nel overtubular member T as, in the case of the preferred form.

The open end of a connecter of the type illustrated is simply slippedover the neck of a flask, as shown in Fig. 4, and then to insure avacuum within space 16, the back of the channel 15 is squeezed inwardand released. Fig. 4 shows a flask 18 capped by a connecter C, carryingtwo tubes 19 and 20. In such an arrangement, common in medical practice,the liquid 21. in bottle '18 may flow out of the relatively long tube20.

and thereby set up a siphon action to draw liquid upward through therelatively short tube 19. To dismantle such an arrangement the rubberconnecter C is simply peeled off the neck T of the flask. The number oftubes leading from cap C may be increased for some purposes. Fig. 5shows, for example, a cap having three tubes, 21, 22 and 23'. v

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is shown a form;of my invention embodying a Venttube. The connecter C" is similar to the previous form in having severalcorresponding parts, namely, wall 10", rim 11" and a channel defined byinwardly disposed flanges 12" and 14 and wall portion 15 intermediatethereof. In addition, it has-preferably a feature which may be embodiedin any of the forms, an inwardly disposed annular abutment flange 24integral with wall 10' to serve as a stop for the rim 25 of a flask 26.

Integral also with wall 10 is an inwardly disposed vent'tube 27communicating with avent aperture 27a in the wall and preferablyco-axial with the connecter C. Preferably, this vent tube 27 has'a wallthick enough to make it relatively rigid and wall 10" of the connecteris re1- atively thick adjacent the base of the vent tube to normallymaintain the vent tube substantially parallel with longitudinal axis ofthe connecter, if not co-axial with the connecter.

The free end 28 of vent tube 27 extends sufflciently'above the rim 11"of the connecter to permit a desirable level of liquid 29 in the flaskand preferably free end 28 is bevelled so that any liquid thereon tendsto drain outward along the periphery of the tube.

One or more outlet tubes are provided, such as tube 30. Preferably, asseen in plan, tubes 27 and 30 overlap, as shown in Fig. 7, so that aportion at 31 of the wall of tube 27 is in longitudinal alignment withand continuous with a portion at 32 of tube 30.

To employ this connecter for the purpose of supplying a liquid throughoutlet tube 30, the liquid is first poured in flask 26, then connecter Cis slipped over the neck 33 of the flask until rim 25 meets abutmentflange 24. The wall of the connecter may then be depressed at 15 tocreatea vacuum in annular space 16", but such a step may be omittedbecause handling in the act of slipping the connecter over the neck ofthe flask ordinarily serves. the same purpose. Finally the flask isinverted to the position shown in Fig. 8 and as liquid drains throughtube 30, air is admitted to the space above the liquid by means of venttube 27.

It is to be understood that although the preferred forms of my inventionhave been described in specific detail, I nevertheless reserve the rightto all other embodiments and modifications properly within the scope ofmy appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a liquid-containing flask having a cylindricalneck and an outwardly extending annular rim flange, of a flask-connecterhaving combination: a circular rubber wall telescoped over the neck ofthe flask. in radially spaced relation to said flask rim flange; aninwardly disposed annular rubber flange integral with said rubber wallembracing the flask neck; a second spaced inwardly-disposed annularrubber flange integral with said rubber wall and embracing the flaskneck; an annular vacuum-sustaining space being defined by said wall,rubber flanges and the neck of the flask, said second rubber flangebeing relatively thin and inclined to such an angle that liquid.pressure on one face augments the normal pressure of the flange againstthe flask neck.

. 2. The combination with an inverted liquidcontaining flask having acylindrical neck and an outwardly extending annular rim flange, of aflask-connecter having in combination: a circular rubber wall telescopedover said flask neck, the Wall being of substantially larger inside diameter than the outside diameter of said flask flange; twoinwardly-disposed annular rubber flanges integral with said wallembracing the flask neck and maintaining said wall in spaced concentricrelation to said flask flange, the rubber flange nearest said flaskflange being inclined towards said flask flange, whereby said rubberflange along the edge of one of its faces contacts the flask neck and issubjected on its opposite face to liquid pressure from within the flask,an annular vacuum-sustaining space being defined by said Wall, rubberflanges and flask neck.

FRANCIS M. POTTENGER, JR.

